Method and means fob



W. W. HEROY mz'mon AND umns FOR SILENCING nlum m cbnulrrs' Original Filed Nov. 19'. 1920 /////////////#//0///0///// lfi'lII/I/I/l/IIIIIIII/I/fl/I/II/fll/ ATTORNEYS INVENTOR WALTER w. HERO) Winn Rein sued Dec. 2, 1924.

. UNITED STATES WALTER W. HEROY, F BLOOHFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

IETHOD AND MEANS'FOB SILENGING FLUID IN CONDUITS.

I Original! 30. 1,488,462, dated October 17, 1822, Serialllio. 425,085, filed November 19, 1820. Application for reissue filed July 5, 1924. Serial No. 724,486.

,To all whom it may concern: p Be it known that I, WALTER W. H nton, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Bloomfield, county of Essex, and l State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Method and Means for Silencing Fluid in Conduits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mufilers or silencers for escaping fluids, such as gases, "water, and the like, and more particularly 1 to a silencer for flush tanks, etc.

An object of the invention is to prevent W the production of noise by the movement of fluids in the conduit by which it is carried.

Another ob'ect of the invention is to prevent the ro notion of noise by the movement of uid in the pipe by which it is l carried by disintegration and breaking up or the fluid parts through the action of a body movable with the fluid. .-A further object of the invention is to prevent the production of noise by the movement of fluid in the pipe by which it is carried and to simultaneously revent the accumulation of foreign matter y the noise arresting device.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

tained in a pent-up fluid when under pres- .;sure and'static will, when released, be diwerted. intoseveral ,portions or component .parts of the fluid, exerting separate distinct propelling forces,'exhibiting the distribution of energy in direct relation to the configuration or friction of the conduit; and causing a noise in proportion to the energy contamed in the dynamics of the fluid, as dis- "integration takes place upon its release.

The movement of a fluid in a pipe or con It is known that the dynamic force con- Such component parts of the fluidmay be regarded as la ersenveloping a central core of liquid which layers have a frictional contact with the bore of the pipe and generate in the resulting noise.

In the present invention means, termed noise arrester herein, is provided to disintegrate the current of fluid moving in a pipe, so as to oppose and neutralize the vibrations conveyed to the pipe by the moving fluid.

This means consists of a mass of loose granular material confined between two grids in a iven section of the pipe, but only partially fi ing the said section when at rest. The material is thus free to move or be lifted toward the outlet by the moving current of water, and the mass of such material is so proportioned to the capacity of the pipesection that the degree of its movement or elevation in the section varies with the velocity of the escaping fluid, and adapts it to oppose the vibrations of the fluid with uniform efl'ect when moving with different degrees of force. Such opposition disintegrates the outer layers of the water current and greatly reduces the skin'friction and noise.

The operation of such a freely movable mass of granular material'is found in practice to be essentially diflerent from the operation of a filling of granular material which is not permitted free movement within the pipe-section.

When the fluid is in motion the movable material in the present invention intersects the flow of water at different points, and operates to disintegrate and break up the fluid parts whose dynamic force is convertible into noise if not otherwise diverted.

It .will be observed that at each reversal of its movement the granular material is disposed in a diiierent arrangement within the body of the arrester, which produces a very efiicient action of the material.

The particles of material in their movements tend to abrade one another sufficiently to rub any particles of foreign matter which have been deposited upon them.

If the section were entirely filled with granular material it would in the course of time be completely clogged by the deposit of foreign substance from the water flowing through it, and the provision of space for drawin the settling of the material after the valve is closed; and F i 5 is a diagram illustratin r the action of "'t e water in passing througi the noise-arrester. Figs. Qand 5*are upon a larger scale than Fig. .1. Fig. 6 is a plan of the A designates the flush-tank in 'F 1, B the outlet to the closet-bowl which would be controlled "a flush-valve 'B as is usual. C is the supply-pipe extended into the body of the noise-arrester within the tank,

which body is provided upon the top with a tank-valve E controlled by the limit F. The bod D is 're resented as of glass to exhibit t 'e movem tits that occur within-the ordinary ipe,which may be made of iron,

brass or cad, as required, a section of the supply-pipe in'Fig. 2heing'clanrped by rods G betiween heads '1), b at its opposite ends, which heads contain grids between which the charge of granular material (1 is retained.

The head I) is connected to the supplyipe'C, and when the tank-valve E isopned iiy the 'falling of the ball F the water flows 'upwardlly through the pipe C and arrestersection andescapes freely within the tank through the rioz'zle H.

Fig. 5 represents the section of pipe clamped between the heads I) and b, and'the flow of fluid through such section is illustrated diagrannnatically in this figure. The fluid entersat the bottom, ,as indicated "at the'arrow e and -flows upwardly through. the section to'the outlet a. i

It is observed that when the fluid is in motion as shown in Fig. 5, its center f advances first and penetrates the granular material, and pushes through it before the articles in contact with the side-walls of he section have materially moved,"o'wing to the skin friction.

The material next the walls ofthe section is ultimately lifted more or less-according to thevelocity of the moving current, and when packed in the upper part of the body D as shown in Fig. 3, it forces the flowing water away from the wall of the pipe and breaks thevibr'ations which would otherwise produce agitations of the pipe D and a corresponding volume of noise.

'It is known that the movement of perfectly smooth surfaces upon one another produces no friction and corresponding little noise, but as the Water flowing toth'e tank talveunder high pressure produces normally hi'eflt.

a great deal of noise, it is obvious that the water surrounding the central core f is operating like Separate layers of component parts f in rubbing its way through the section D and its outlet, and that the noise is caused by such "separate actions and can be arrested by disintegrating the component parts of the current.

The rearrangement of the granular material at each reversal of such material produces a complete disintegration of the water current; and makes the operation of the aiieter most 'efi'ecthe, while it secures the self-cleansing of the granular material and permits the freeipassageof any foreign substance through the disintegrated mass. Such foreign material which is too large to pass through the grid o disposed adjacent the outlet entlofthe arres'ter is effectively broken up by the successive impacts of the granular material the-reegainst.

Fig. 4 shows the gradual settling of the granular material "d "as the tank-valve is gradually closed, thus changing the disposition *of all its particles.

This is found to be effected in practice by the operation of the noise-arrester described (as seen throu h'the glass section), in which the passage 0 the fluid through the loose granular material absorbs its ene rg in suflicient degree to overcome the skin f i'iction.

Theemployment of the granular material in a *loose condition effects a very different result from tliesamematerial packed closely in a receptacle, or restrained even by its own weight from rising in the section through which the water passes, as the shifting of the granular "material brings its particles into "new lines of the fiuids move- This is not effected where the water merely flowsthrough permanent apertures in grids, or permanent apertures between particles of granular material.

-My invention is thus a means of 'mufliing the noise'of a'fluid moving within a pipe, and also affords a self-cleansing construction and arrangement of the granular mave-in.

It is evident that the self-cleansing of the granular material will be efiected in whatever position the arrester may be used. as for instance in a horizontal position, the material being free to move within the body of thearrester 'wouid be a itated every time theli uid passedthr'ougi it, and the particles (3 me one another in settling down upon the lower part ofthe body when the current ceased.

A 'grid"or-grating is referredto herein aslesslikely to be clogged than a finely perforated screen, but any form of screen may be used that is desired.

-Fhe noisemrrestmr may be used in conneeti'on with the flushometer or any apescape ratus it may affect as described erein to restrain or prevent noise.

Although I have specifically described my invention in connection with silencing the noise of water in flush-tanks, it is obvious that the same may be applied to many other devices employing water or fluid. It is also obvious that those skilled in the art may make modifications of the invention,

abut such as fall within the scope of the apnded claims are contemplated by me as orming part of my invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what is claimed herein is:

1. In the art of mufliing the noise of an escaping fluid, the combination, with a pipe conveying such fluid, of a section having grids at both ends, the space between the grids being partially filled with loose granular material free to be lifted as a whole y the current of fluid, such material be-' g selfleansing movements.

' 2. In the art of mufliing the noise of an escaping fluid, the combination, with a pipe conveying such fluid, of a section having grids at both ends, the space between said grids being partially filled with loose granular material, and a valve controlling the of the fluid adjacent to one of the iggids, the mass of said granular material ing such as to be by the reversal of its lifted as a whole until restrained by the upper grid, and to disintegrate the moving current of fluid and to check its vibrations and thus prevent the i said conduit and escapin 5 g agitation of the fluid and the noise resulting therefrom.

3. The muflier constructed in accordance with claim 1, and having the pipe arranged in a vertical position to secure a prompt return of the granular material to its initial position after each movement.

4. A muflier for silencing the noise of an fluid comprising means for conveying fluid and means movable as a whole with said fluid for neutralizing the vibrations conveyed to said first-mentioned means by the moving fluid.

5. A mufller for silencing the noise of an escaping fluid comprising means for conveying fluid and granular means movable as a whole with said fluid for neutralizing the vibrations conveyed to said first-mentioned means by the moving fluid.

6. A muffler for silencing the noise of an escaping fluid comprising a conduit for said fluid, a body of granular material movable as a whole with said fluid and adapted to return to initial position under the action of gravity.

7. A mufller for silencing the noise of an escafing fluid comprising a conduit for said flui a. body of loose granular material in movable as a whole by said fluid, means for arresting the movement of said granular material but permitting the movement of said fluid therethrough, said material being adapted to return to initial position under the influence of gravity.

8. A muffler for silencing the noise of escaping fluid comprising a conduit, means for supporting a body of loose granular material in a position to be acted upon by said fluid, said conduit permitting movement of said granular material as a whole therein by said fluid, means for arresting the movement of said granular material, said material being adapted to return to said supporting means upon release of the pressure within said fluid.

9. A muflier for silencing the noise of an escaping fluid, comprising a body of loose granular material, a conduit for said fluid, means for supporting said granular material in the line of flow of said fluid, said conduit permitting movement of said granular material as a whole therein by said fluid, means for arresting the movement of said material but permitting the movement of said fluid therethrough, said material being adapted to return to said supporting means upon release of the pressure within said fluid.

10. The combination with a pipe for conveying fluid, of a section having means for supporting a body of loose granular material at one end thereof, said material being movable as a whole with said fluid, means at the other end of said section for arresting the movement of said granular material but permitting the movement of said fluid therethrough, the mass of the particles of granular material within said section being dependent upon the velocity of the fluid within said section.

11. The combination with a pipe for conveying fluid, of a section thereof containing a body of loose granular material and having means at one end for supporting said material, the size of the particles thereof and the quantity depending upon the velocity of said fluid, said material being adapted to move as a whole with said fluid, means at the other end of said section for arrest ing the movement of said material, said pipe being so disposed as to permit the return of said material to its initial position to facilitate cleansing of said particles.

12. The combination with a pipe for conveying fluid, of a section thereof containing a body of loose granular material and having means at one end for supporting said material, the length of said section being such as to permit said granular material to move as a body from one position to another in said section, means at the other end of said section for arresting the moveanular material, so disposed as to persaid granular material ment of said body of and said pipe bein mit of the return 0 by gravity to initial position, whereby the granular material separates and the abrade each other to cleanse the some.

13. The method of neutralizing the vibrations conveyed to a pipe by a moving body of fluid which comprises nesisti the movement of the fluid by a body reely movable therewith for a predetermined distance and disseminating or distintegrating the fluid parts by a reversal of the movement of said body.

14. The method of neutralizing the vibrltions conveyed to a pipe by a moving body of fluid which comprises yieldingly opposing the motion of said fluid by means 0 a body of granular material movable as a whole a limited distance With said fluid and simultaneously permitting the movement of said fluid within said pipe and through said material.

15. The method of neutralizing the vibrations conveyed to a pipe by a moving body of fluid which comprises disimeg'reting the fluid parts by yieldingl opposing the motion of said fluid by a be 'of nularxmaterial movable as a whole therewith until said fluid parts are disintegrated and simultaneously therewith permitting the movement of said fluid Within said pipe through said material.

16. The method of neutralizing the vihrations :conveyed to a pipe by a moving body of "fluid which comprlses disintegrating the fluid parts by forcing the fluid through a movable body which is capable of a ed movement with said fluid, said body being returnable through the action of avity to its initial position upon release 0' the fluid pressure.

17. The method of neutralizing the vibrations conveyed to a pipe by a moving body of fluid ging ofthe passage through which said fluid moves, which comprises passing the fluid through a granular body which is capable of a limited movement against the force of gravity with the fluid, and then permitting gravity to return said granular body to its initial position during which return movement the granular particles abrade each other to remove foreign material.

18. The method of neutralizing the vibrations conveyed to a pipe by a moving body of fluid and for preventing the clogging of the passage -through which said fluid moves, which comprises passing the fluid through a granular body which is capable of a limited movement with the fluid against the force of gravity, and then permitting gravity to return the granular material to initial position and simultaneously therewith permitting the particles thereof to abrade each other "to remove foreign materiel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of June,

WALTER W. HEROY.

and for preventing the 010 -i 

